Music festival aids typhoon victims in the Philippines
March 6, 2013
The annual Musikahan sa Tagum Festival of Tagum City, Davao del Norte pulled together this year to raise over P110,000 ($2,700 USD) for victims of typhoon Bopha. The music festival is a community-based, culture-focused program that brings together a partnership of public and private sectors in the Davao region. An art show featured at the festival this year will also donate all proceeds from painting sales to the cause.
The festival has always been driven by volunteers, but the 2013 Musikahan has seen that sense of charity grow immensely. "The Festival was able to get more than P100,000 in pledges alone during the festivity," according to Tagum City Information Officer Cromwell Bonghanoy.
The help is certainly necessary. Typhoon Bopha, known locally as Pablo, was the most powerful storm to hit the southern island of Mindanao in decades and the deadliest storm to hit the Philippines this year. Flash floods and landslides accompanied fierce gusts as strong as 138 mph. An estimated 216,000 houses were destroyed or damaged. Though public support through festivals such as Musikahan helps those in need, there's a growing concern through the country regarding the role climate change plays in increasingly fierce weather.
Those interested in discussing music or climate change can make calls to the Philippines using prepaid phone cards.